Lasers have been used as an aid in the construction industry for quite some time. Examples can include the determination and marking of straight lines on construction surfaces. In this regard, known points can be measured and marked. A laser can then be used to shine a laser beam between the points to strike a straight line. In addition, laser devices equipped with a level can be utilized to determine and strike straight lines, which are also level.
Other applications of lasers have included finding level edges in a room for setting up and or installing suspended ceilings. In this regard, an apparatus having a laser attached to it can be suspended from the ceiling at the desired ceiling height. The laser is allowed to rotate such that the laser beam is projected on wall surfaces and ceiling edges to be used as a guide during the construction and or installation of the ceiling.
Currently, finding a center point between to points typically involves a series of measurements with a tape measure, a string and or mathematical calculations to determine the location of the center point. As such, lasers used in construction to find straight lines and lasers used to find level edges for suspended ceilings are of no help in determining the center point between reference points. Furthermore, determination of distances between reference points, and lengths of certain objects are at present best made with a tape measure and or string.
The tape measure or a string may be suitable for measuring and or determining center, distances, and length of an object when the object is easily accessible or relatively short in length. However, trying to make such measurements on large objects, such as for example, the side of a house, the roof of a building, a concrete driveway, a sidewalk, a pool, walls, a room, a ceiling, and or other objects can be troublesome. Such objects, that may be large, difficult to reach, difficult access, or are in environments that don't lend themselves well to physical access, or tape measure and string type measurements can be tough if not impossible to measure.
For example finding the center of a room can require at least two people, a tape measure, and or other measurement devices. In addition, several measurements will most likely need to be made to ensure the proper location has been identified. Such identification can be extremely important when, for example, locating the center of the room for the hanging of a ceiling fan is required.
Equally as difficult can be finding the center of, for example, a fence or other large or long object. In the case of a fence, the fence can be of such length that a single tape measure having a maximum tape length that is much shorter than the total length of the fence. As a result, measuring the fence now necessitates the making of numerous incremental measurements in ordered ascertain first the total length of the fence and then further incremental measurements in order to determine where the center of the fence is located.
As such, current methods for identifying the center, distance, length, or plumb of an object may require several measurements, require the use of a variety of measuring devices, and or require calculations to be performed to produce a result, all of which can be prone to errors and or be cumbersome to effectuate.
Furthermore, current methods for locating the center, distance, length, or plumb of an object are not practical or feasible when it comes to measuring objects that are large or that may be difficult to reach, inaccessible, and or provide no means to otherwise identify the point or dimension of interest.
There is a long felt need for a measuring device that can be used to quickly determine the center, distance, length, and plumb of objects ranging in size from big to small, and of objects that may or may not be conveniently accessible which in part gives rise to the following invention.